The Aurora Capri Dress Code
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Smart casual, and Capri means it: no swimwear or shorts at dinner, covered shoes on the terrace. Dress up for the Piazzetta.
Aurora keeps a smart-casual dress code, and on Capri that carries more weight than the phrase suggests. The D'Alessio family have run the terrace off the Piazzetta on Via Fuorlovado for more than a century, its signature is the thin-crust pizza all'acqua, and its terrace is the most photographed on the island. Nobody checks for a tie, but the room dresses, and the staff draw a clear line at beachwear.
What Aurora's Dress Code Actually Means
Smart casual, read the Capri way. Men wear a collared shirt with chinos or trousers; a light linen jacket is common in the evening and never out of place. Women wear summer dresses or elegant separates with sandals or heels. There is no jacket-and-tie rule, but the terrace at Aurora is a social room, and the crowd dresses to be seen as much as to eat. Think closer to the island's evening passeggiata than to a lunch by the water.
What Not to Wear
The firm line is beachwear. Swimsuits, cover-ups, gym kit and flip-flops are turned away at dinner, and swim shorts do not pass even at lunch. Capri's day-to-night rhythm means midday is a little more relaxed — tailored shorts and a good shirt are fine at lunch — but the evening terrace expects trousers and covered shoes. If you are arriving from a boat or a beach like La Fontelina, change before you come up to the Piazzetta.
Dressing for the Occasion
Aurora is where Capri celebrates, so the dress follows the night. For an anniversary or a birthday on the terrace, lean into it: a good dress, a jacket, real shoes. The room has hosted the island's summer crowd for generations, and the setting off the Piazzetta rewards the effort. A 15% service charge is added to the bill, so factor that into the evening too.
The One-Line Answer
Smart casual, executed properly: no swimwear, covered shoes, a shirt with a collar after dark. Aurora will not seat a swimsuit, but it asks for nothing you would not already wear for a dressy Capri evening. Plan on from roughly €60 per person, order the pizza all'acqua, and book two to four weeks ahead in July and August. See our guide to booking Aurora in Capri for the timing, and compare the stricter end of the scale at Carbone.
View Aurora on Restaurants for Kings →
Not for a beach-day walk-in: Aurora's terrace is a see-and-be-seen room off the Piazzetta, and staff will turn away swimwear, gym kit and flip-flops at dinner.
Related Reading
- Our profile: Aurora on Via Fuorlovado.
- Book the table: how to book Aurora in Capri.
- The wider island: Capri dining guide, plus Da Paolino under the lemon trees and Il Riccio for seafood by the Blue Grotto.
- By kitchen: the best Italian restaurants worldwide and the best pizza worldwide.
- Sister codes: Carbone and our fine-dining dress-code guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dress code at Aurora in Capri?
Smart casual. Aurora does not require a jacket and tie, but its terrace off the Piazzetta is the most photographed on the island, so the room dresses. Men wear a collared shirt with chinos or trousers, often a linen jacket in the evening; women wear summer dresses. Swimwear, cover-ups and flip-flops are turned away at dinner. Read our how-to-book guide for reservation timing in high season.
Can you wear shorts to Aurora in Capri?
Tailored shorts pass at lunch, when Capri runs more relaxed, but ordinary beach shorts and swim shorts do not, and neither passes at dinner. The safe evening move is trousers or good chinos. Aurora sits steps from the Piazzetta on Via Fuorlovado, and the terrace is a see-and-be-seen room, so dress closer to the island's evening passeggiata than the beach club.
Do you need a jacket at Aurora Capri?
No jacket is required, but many men wear a light linen or unstructured jacket in the evening because the terrace is dressy and social. A jacket is never wrong here; a swimsuit and flip-flops always are. The D'Alessio family have run Aurora for over a century, and the room's smart-casual standard is enforced by the crowd as much as the staff.
What should women wear to Aurora Capri?
A summer dress or elegant separates with sandals or heels reads correctly on Aurora's terrace day or night. The room is one of Capri's most photographed, and diners dress for it. Avoid swimwear and beach cover-ups at dinner. For a special evening — an anniversary or a birthday — lean into it; the Piazzetta setting rewards the effort.
Is there a dress code for lunch at Aurora?
Lunch is a touch more relaxed than dinner, in line with Capri's daytime rhythm, but the smart-casual line still holds: no swimwear, no bare feet, no gym kit. Tailored shorts and a good shirt are fine at midday. If you are coming straight from a boat or beach, change first — Aurora is a terrace institution, not a beach restaurant like La Fontelina.